


Ashes

by Zelan



Series: Claire/Morgan [2]
Category: The Good Doctor (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Implied/Referenced Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-31 07:41:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21118340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zelan/pseuds/Zelan
Summary: Claire can't handle it all on her own.





	Ashes

**Author's Note:**

> they went to a drag party don't tell me they're not gonna end up girlfriends
> 
> (Some of the dialogue is pulled directly from the episode, but otherwise this is original writing.)

“It’s my mom.”

Morgan’s face goes slack with realization. It all makes sense, suddenly, Claire’s behavior clicking into place, but at the same time, staring at that sky-blue cylinder, Morgan can’t reconcile the plain container with the vibrant woman she’d met.

“How…?” The rest of the question dies in Morgan’s throat. Claire just closes her eyes and nods resignedly.

“Driving. Drunk.” Claire’s face is expressionless, but her voice catches on the rough edges of the second word, betraying her grief, her guilt, her anger. At first Morgan thinks that’s all Claire is willing to tell, but Claire leans back against the trunk and with a steadying breath tells the rest of the story. The surgery, the selfie, the champagne.

The Marine Science Center.

“Any city we were in, ‘I wonder if they have sea lions.’” Claire scoffs, but Morgan doesn’t miss the fond smile that creeps across her face, a testament to one of the few fond memories Breezy had left for her daughter.

“You need to do it. Now,” Morgan nods resolutely, already pulling out her phone.

“No. _No._ It is a pointless gesture because my mother is dead and she doesn’t care.”

Pointless to the dead woman, maybe, but not to the living woman left with her ashes. “Perfect. The center’s open this evening for an after-hours event.” Morgan pauses for a fraction of a second when she sees the event’s description. “We’ll need to dress up.” Claire doesn’t need to know the details. She just needs closure.

\-----

Morgan withdraws to give Claire space to mourn. She really does look great, more beautiful than any squid, vampire or otherwise, could aspire to. Her somber face is lit green by the sea lion enclosure in front of her and the pride party behind her, the unshed tears in her eyes glinting. Morgan is enraptured.

Even more so when the singing begins.

After a few false starts, Claire settles into her voice, like a tired body warming up a bed before sleep. Morgan is floored by the smooth sweetness of it.

“It’s good of you to be here to support her,” one of the drag queens murmurs to Morgan. “Your girlfriend has a beautiful voice.”

Morgan’s heart skips a beat at the word _girlfriend_. ‘Yes,” she whispers back, not taking her eyes off of Claire. “She does.”

\-----

Claire stands, jolting Morgan awake with the loss of her headrest. She watches Claire’s retreating form and tries to reconcile the warmth of Claire’s body heat with the coldness of her exit - no thanks, or even a goodbye. She wonders if Claire knows that Morgan aches with Claire’s pain.

Out of the corner of her eye, Morgan sees Claire look her way just before she steps off the subway. Claire almost seems to hesitate, but the moment passes and she is gone.

\-----

Claire’s mind isn’t on the man pinning her against the brick wall. It’s on her mother, who must have been pinned against so many brick walls in her time, and wouldn’t she be proud to see her daughter finally relaxing now that Mom wasn’t there to be taken care of. All Claire had to take care of now was herself, because who else would do the job?

Her mom had failed to take care of her. This man wouldn’t take care of her. No one had ever taken care of her.

Except - Morgan.

Her mind drifts to Morgan standing beside her with gun calmly raised, Morgan gazing at her with soft glitter-speckled eyes saying “sing,” Morgan laying her head on Claire’s shoulder, Morgan pinning her against a brick wall and pressing her lips against Claire’s neck.

But Morgan didn’t care, not really. She only took care of Claire when there was nothing else interesting to do. And there were plenty of men around for Morgan to do.

Claire’s man bites down on her collarbone and she gasps and shoves Morgan from her mind and she tells herself this is who she gets.


End file.
